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From Issue 28
Jan/Feb/Mar 2006
Guidelines
THE JOY OF
Slash fanfiction
Slash fanfiction is...
well, fanfiction is where someone writes new episodes in an established fictional world (the ‘base canon’) – like an extra episode of Star Trek. Slash fanfic is where the new episode involves two same-sex characters paired romantically. It started in the 1970s, with Star Trek fans publishing erotic stories about Kirk and Spock. Now it’s moved onto the Internet. Harry Potter, Buffy, Starsky and Hutch, have all got a huge web presence.
The joy of slash is…
that you can write in any form: a poem, a whole novel, a drabble (100-word episode, named after its inventor, Margaret Drabble). And your audience is so knowledgeable. You don’t have to bother with back story or building characters. You can quote any line from the base canon and people know exactly what you mean. I’ve learnt so much about technique; things like point of view, character, dialogue. The audience is really supportive and you get instant feedback – people even proofread (‘beta-read’) for each other.
The downside is...
you are only seen on the web, though some BNFs (Big Name Fans) are really well known in that world. You get the inevitable flamer (rabid critic) now and then and the better writers sometimes separate off into cliquey smaller sites. There’s been a problem with Harry Potter slash fanfic, because children might encounter the underage pairings. JK’s very wary of slash because of that.
It’s very explicit…
pornographic really. Everything’s there – bondage, necrophilia – but it’s fiction, so no-one gets hurt. I’d say 95 per cent of people reading and writing slash are women. I don’t know why it’s so focussed on male pairings – there’s very little lesbian slash. I think it just appeals to people who are open-minded.
I’m in the middle of a long story about Blake (the idealistic rebel leader) and Avon (the cynic) imprisoned in a tiny cell together. The sexual tension is unbearable...
What hooked me was...
Harry Potter/Severus Snape slash. I thought, whoa, that’s really hot. Harry and Snape were my OTP (One True Pairing) for ages – until I graduated to Blake’s 7. I spend about 10 hours a week reading and writing it. I’m in the middle of a long story about Blake (the idealistic rebel leader) and Avon (the cynic) imprisoned in a tiny cell together. The sexual tension is unbearable... And I’ve just finished a short piece about Fraser (the Canadian mountie) and Ray (the policeman) from the Due South TV series, an erotic sequel to an episode where Fraser hypnotises Ray.
How to get started…
Explore archive sites like www.fanfiction.net. If you want erotic stuff, go to the skyhawke archive, which requires an age statement. The inkstainedfingers link will take you to Harry Potter slash. Don’t be put off by the bad writing; there are some real gems in there. Ask questions; people will help you get started. Googling your favourite character ‘+ fanfiction’ will usually take you to the site you want.
The latest craze is…
RPS (Real Person Slash), pairing real celebrities. It started with the Lord of the Rings film. Women started fantasising about those attractive male actors in New Zealand together for three years.
by Anna Wilson
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